Labour Vs Conservative for dummies

In the wake of Prime Minister Theresa May’s call for an early federal election this year, political parties hastily rushed to put together their manifestos.  

A week ahead of the election, it’s important to refresh ourselves on what the two main parties have promised the public.   Below are some of the highlights of policies from the Labour and Conservative parties:

Labour: “For the Many, Not the Few.”

The Labour manifesto proposes some strong contrasts with that of the conservatives, promising the following:

·     A negotiation with the EU that would involve retaining the benefits of the Single Market and the Customs Union.

·     A guarantee to immediately protect the rights of all EU citizens living in the UK, and vice-versa.

·     An end to the NHS pay cap.

·     The creation of a National Education Service, abolishing tuition fees for all students.

·     Extension of free school meals to all children in primary schools.

·     No rises in income tax for those earning below £80,000 per year.

·     A pledge to control class sizes in schools.

·     The introduction of free, lifelong education in Further Education colleges, “enabling everyone to upskill or retrain at any point in life.”

·     The creation of a publicly owned National Investment Bank.

·     Reversal of the privatization of Royal Mail.

·     A pledge to bring private rail companies back into public ownership as their franchises expire.

·     The development of “fair immigration rules” without discrimination.

·     An end to overseas-only recruitment practices.

·     A pledge to increase carers’ allowance by £10 per week.

·     Increases in income tax for the top 5% of earners.

·     Completion of the HS2 high-speed railway from London to Birmingham through Leeds and Manchester, and then into Scotland.

·     A pledge to invest in “new, state-of-the-art low-carbon gas and renewable electricity production.”

·     The introduction of a new Clean Air Act to help combat climate change.

·     A ban on fracking.

·     Transition to a publicly owned, decentralised energy system.

·     A commitment to expand the provision of free public wi-fi in city centres and on public transport, improve 4G coverage and provide 5G to all urban areas, roads and railways, and to deliver “universal superfast broadband” by 2022.

·     Ensuring no more than a 20:1 pay gap between the highest and lowest paid employees at any given corporation.

·     An end to zero-hours contracts

·     A rise in minimum wage to at least £10/hour by 2020.

·     A ban on unpaid internships.

·     That all workers have the right to trade union representation at work.

·     Double paid paternity leave to four weeks and increased paternity pay.

·     An end to the Bedroom Tax.

·     Reinstation of the housing benefit for under-21s

·     A pledge to build thousands of low-cost homes reserved for first-time buyers.

·     A commitment to improving the quality of the NHS by reducing waiting time in A&Es, ensuring fast access to the most effective new drugs and treatments, and providing free parking at NHS establishments.

·     An increase in tax on Private medical insurance premiums, to fund the above.

·     The creation of a National Care Service.

·     A pledge to treat mental health the same as physical health.

·     The recruitment of 10,000 more police officers and 500 more border guards in improving security and efficiency.

·     The extension of the Freedom of Information Act to private companies that run public services.

·     The reduction of the voting age to 16.

·     The provision of training for teachers to increase sensitivity to bullying of LGBT students.

·     The introduction of equal pay audit requirements on large employers.

·     The encouragement of peace in the Middle East based on a two-state solution (a “secure Israel alongside a secure and viable state of Palestine) without taking military action.

·     The advocacy of a large-scale, long-term multinational political strategy to combat the spread of extremism.

·     The renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent.

·     The introduction four new UK bank holidays.

Conservative: The manifesto, entitled: “Forward, Together: Our plan for a Stronger Britain and a Prosperous Future” supports the following:

·     The belief that “no deal” is better than a “bad deal” when it comes to Brexit.

·     The exit of the UK from the single market and the customs union

·     Increasing of the personal allowance to £12,500 and the higher tax-paying rate to £50,000 by 2020

·     A pledge to increase the minimum wage to 60% of median earnings by 2020.

·     The doubling of the Immigration Skills Charge levied on business employing migrant workers.

·     A pledge to give a larger percentage of tax from shale gas to the communities that host extraction sites.

·     Investment in low-emission buses and electric vehicle technology.

·     The production of a comprehensive 25-year Environment Plan.

·     Increase in the defence budget to 0.5 percent above inflation every year of parliament.

·     The retaining of the Trident continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent.

·     Investment of £187 billion on new military equipment in the next 10 years.

·     Delivery of new Apache attack helicopters, new drones, new missiles and bomb systems, Dreadnought ballistic missile boats, Type 45 destroyers, Type 26 anti-submarine frigates, and a Lightning II strike fighter to the armed forces.

·     The repeal of the Fixed-Term Parliament’s act.

·     The replacement of free school meals for all primary school children with free breakfasts. The lowest-income children will still receive lunches.

·     The creation of new technical qualifications, known as “T-levels” in subjects such as construction, creative design, digital, engineering and manufacturing, and health and science.

·     The introduction of a national retraining scheme with costs covered by the government.

·     The reduction and control of immigration from the European Union.

·     The elimination of rough sleeping by 2027.

·     To offer smart meters to every household by 2020.

·     An increase in NHS spending by a minimum of £8 billion over the next five years.

·     An increase in the Immigration Health Surcharge to £600 for migrant workers and £450 for international students.

·     The recruitment of up to 10,000 more mental health professionals.

·     To have the majority of the population covered by a 5G wireless signal by 2027.

As usual in the ever confusing world of politics, there’s a lot to be said for the things that aren’t said.

The Labour manifesto is clearly focused on creating new, publicly owned institutions and services, caring for the environment and bridging income and equality gaps between the most and the least privileged.  However, it keeps mum on increasing military spending or reducing immigration.

Conversely, the Conservative manifesto takes a hard line to Brexit, and an aggressive stance on military spending and immigration. But it offers very little on issues such as high tuition fees, public ownership of social services and combating climate change.

There is no mention of banning fracking or reversing the privatisation of social institutions. In addition, public scepticism of the Tories has been rampant since Prime Minister May refused to take part in a publicly televised debate, and received criticism for her U-turn on “dementia tax.” The manifesto has been slated as a “menu with no prices” that contains promises that the Tories hope will appeal to many, without outlining many concrete plans or policies to keep these promises.

With so many unanswered questions, polls showing the Conservative lead narrowing and a looming election just a week away, one thing is clear: every vote counts. Remember to exercise your democratic rights and put in your vote on June 8.

The full Labour Manifesto can be found here: http://www.labour.org.uk/page/-/Images/manifesto-2017/Labour%20Manifesto%202017.pdf

The full Conservative manifesto can be found here: https://www.conservatives.com/manifesto